Friday, April 12, 2013

The Classics Club April Meme.

Every month, The Classics Club asked members to respond to a question for the Monthly Meme. Surprisingly, I don't participate in the meme that often, and I'm a moderator! Shame on me! ;)

In any case, I've loved the last few questions, so I'm making it a point to participate.

For the month of April, the club asks,

"“Who is hands-down the best literary hero, in your opinion? Likewise, who is the best heroine?”

I immediately thought of 3 names-1 hero and 2 heroines.

The hero that jumped into my mind is actually one of the characters that inspired my blog. Dear old Odysseus from Homer's The Odyssey is a phenomenal hero. He went off to war to support his countrymen and left his family behind. Then, he struggled home and battled monsters, men, and creatures. And, once home, he had to battle the leeching men who had moved into his home and abused his wife's kindness. But what I most love about Odysseus is his imperfections. He is not a perfect hero-he is an adulterer, he is quick to violence, and sometimes he just makes the gods angry. But he fought and survived to find a place at home. He never gave up and continued to battle each challenge that came his way. I can admire that and attempt to emulate it.

In terms of heroines, there are two women that immediately jumped to mind, and since both are similar in nature, I can talk about them at once. I'm thinking of Lily Bart from Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth and Isabel Archer from Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady. Both women are victims of their circumstances. Both have been abused by society and have to suffer under society's expectations, but both women maintain a strength and a dignity that I would love to have. They survive through their intelligence and challenge where it is necessary. And the ends of both of their stories leave my heart aching a bit. The fact that I hold them so close to my heart shows how much I love, respect, and honor the power of their stories.

So there you have it, my idea for the best literary hero/heroines. Please let me know who you would pick!

I admit I passed up Isabel Archer, and actually considered Henrietta, her loyal friend; however, I can say that what saved Isabel for me was that I believe she chose to stay with her horrible husband while using her own power to choose when she could have left him for good. And that for me shows her strength. (Personally, I would have run.)